J H Darbie &Co Interview Questions
& Process

It was easy to find the office, right next to a Duane Reade/Rite Aid. I went to the back entrance, and security directed me around front. After getting a sticker in the lobby, I took the elevator to the 30th floor. The office was right there. The receptionist seemed clueless, but thankfully I wasn't interviewing for that role. She had me sit at a small table while she called Arthur. He was in a meeting, so he sent someone out with a questionnaire for me to fill out. Another candidate arrived for an interview and also got a questionnaire. About 10 minutes later, another person emerged and decided to conduct a 'group interview' with the two of us in a meeting room near reception. The interviewer didn't introduce himself and didn't close the blinds, so people walking by could see us, which lacked privacy. He clearly didn't know how to interview and didn't even review the questionnaires. He asked me to discuss something interesting from the Wall Street Journal. I shared what I'd read that morning, and he accused me of making it up, prompting me to show him the newspaper from my bag. I mentioned I'm not a finance major but I do follow current events. He then shifted the topic to his 7 years at the company. He informed us that the internship was unpaid, but we'd gain investment knowledge and they'd sponsor us for the Series 7 exam. At the end, he said we were accepted as interns and advised us to call back quickly to arrange a start date.

I first got a call from a recruiter about my application for the internship. They asked me about my interest in the role and what I thought I'd be doing. Then, I was invited for an interview. On the day of the interview, there was an exam with different kinds of questions. The first part was about basic finance stuff, and the second part was like a brain teaser. It was a group interview, and they explained what the internship would involve and what to expect.

I met with the top two brokers at the office who were in charge of the office. Spoke about what the internship would entail along with figuring out how much I knew about the market. More of an informative interview about what the summer position would require and our roles as interns. Very simple and straightforward. I recommend reading the WSJ beforehand front to back, and especially knowing what is going on in the markets. The internship is extremely flexible for anyone who has another job or internship that wants to see how a boutique brokerage firm is run. Had a great experience that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in getting their foot in the door. Only downside is that there is no pay for the internship.

First, we had a phone interview where they asked why I was looking for a job, what made me want to work for them, and questions about my background and past experience. The next round was a group interview. We sat around a table and they asked each person different questions.